By Budd Bailey, Buffalo Sports Page Columnist
No. 66: March 10, 2000 – The Sabres trade Michal Grosek to Chicago for Doug Gilmour and Jean-Pierre Dumont.
Sometimes salary considerations could turn a deal particularly one-sided. Such was the case when the Blackhawks and Sabres traded some forwards in 2000.
Buffalo had some interest in J.P. Dumont, a young forward. The asking price was Michal Grosek, who was coming off a 50-point season but someone who probably wasn’t going to get too much better. However, the sweetener was the fact that the Blackhawks were willing to send Doug Gilmour to Buffalo in the deal as well. The catch was that the Sabres had to pick up more than half of Gilmour’s $7 million salary. Buffalo agreed.
That was money well invested. Grosek was dealt by Chicago to the Rangers for future considerations that fall. Dumont had five good seasons with the Sabres. Gilmour stayed for slight more than a year, and tried to help the group from the ’99 team make one last run at glory in the next two seasons. This was a very good trade by Sabres’ GM Darcy Regier.
(Follow Budd on Twitter @WDX2BB)
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